


White Teeth Teens

by RentAChip



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-14
Updated: 2017-07-06
Packaged: 2018-10-04 15:42:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10282376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RentAChip/pseuds/RentAChip
Summary: Geoff and Jack have always had one another. The problem is how much of themselves do they have without the other.





	1. Geoff vs. Jack I

**Author's Note:**

> Rewritten this first chapter, more coming soon.

The playground's normally empty at this point, caught in the dusky twilight after all the children have gone home and the teenage lurkers are still housebound. It's not dark really, but the light is fading and the shadowy fingers stretching across the asphalt. Two boys play in the fenced off area, and they trace a practised route through the major obstacles, swinging from cold metal bars before clambering up a small rock wall and shimmying down a waterlogged rope on the other side. They break into a sprint after the final slide, a large expanse of grass in front of them. The taller, leaner boy chases the other in a compassionate way, slowing down just enough when they get too close so that the other can pull away on tubby legs, laughing over his shoulder and blowing raspberries with his tongue. They loop around the perimeter, zig-zagging in a manic course as the younger tries to avoid getting caught. 

The ginger boy's laugh is infectious, although it comes out in small huffs as his breathing gets more strained from the excursion. The taller boy has dark spiky hair and his legs seem slightly too long for his body, as though he's just had a growth spurt. The shorter boy is pale, but where the warm Alabaman sun has brought out a constellation of freckles across his nose and down his arms, the older boys skin is tanned and olive. They're both out of breath as they flop into the asphalt, the younger boy stopping quickly and the older boy tackling him by the waist, carefully flipping them both onto the floor. It's skilfully done, they do a half turn in mid-air so that the older takes the brunt of the impact as they hit the floor. The younger boy giggles as he squirms to sit up, the elder holding him in a vice like grip. Eventually, the younger gives up, flopping down hard onto the dark haired boy's chest and looking up at him with wide eyes.

"Geoff?" The younger boy draws out the name in a practised whine. "I'm hungry. Do you think we can go home yet?" Geoff lifts his hand to his face, having to shake his arm for the watch to slide off of his forearm and down to his wrist. He squints at it, before kissing the younger lad on the head gently.

"Yeah Jacky, let's go home now yeah?" He rolls the younger lad off gently, stands up and offers a strong grip to Jack so he can stand. Geoff wraps a hand around the younger boy's shoulders, zipping his thin hoodie up to the top. They walk through the park, crossing the roads and crisscrossing up streets to try and remain in the yellowing pools of streetlamp light. They walk for twenty odd minutes, Geoff's eyes wide and alert as he scans the streets for possible dangers while Jack talks about his 5th-grade friends happily. When they reach their street they try Jack's house first, but the lights are off and they're only there for a moment before moving onto Geoff's.

Geoff toes his shoes off in the hallway and instead of waiting for Jack he peeks through the open slit door of the kitchen. Jack's mama is hunched over the table, her head in her hands. Geoff's own mama's back is to him, her hands rubbing soothingly up and down Jack's mama's back. He watches for a moment, trying to gauge the mood of the room before he goes in, brow furrowed. He waits for a second too long, and he's alarmed by the small body arriving behind him. He turns to block the younger's view of the room, before crouching down slightly to talk to him. 

"Hey, go sit in my room Jack? I'll bring you some food up yeah?" Jack nods solemnly and skittles away. The talking has got Geoff's mama's attention. He comes into the room sheepishly and is greeted by the sad smile of his mama. 

"Geoff, honey, there are some sandwiches on the counter, some for Jack as well. Can you take them upstairs?" Geoff nods, speechless as he swallows around the thick lump in his throat. He hates seeing adults cry. He steels himself as he leaves the room, closing the door behind him and taking four slow breaths. He doesn't start up the stairs until he can pull off a convincing smile in the tarnished mirror. He opens the door to the bedroom with his hip and smiles at the younger boy.

"Alright Jack-ammo, do you want ham and cheese or just cheese in your sandwich? And then do you wanna watch some TV or play something or?" He trails off at the sad look he receives from Jack.

"Whats wrong with mama?" Geoff has to take a moment to calm himself again before answering.  
"Nothing's up. Adults just get sad sometimes." Jack nods again, his eyes trying to understand the concept. 

"Is it to do with my da?" Jack cocks his head to his side and Geoff has to try to protect the boy's innocence the best he can. 

"No, no. Something else. Anyway, cheese or ham and cheese?" Jack perks up at the change of conversation, and his stomach gurgles loudly as if on cue.

"Ham and cheese please."

"There you go then, Jack-ammo."

—————————

Jack has barely even opened the door by the time Geoff has started talking.

"Oh no, no, no, no, you need to go change Jack. You can't wear that tonight." Geoff's already slightly drunk, his pre-party drinks slurring the beginnings and ends of his words together, in an ugly portmanteau. He barges past Jack, moving through the house as though it was his own, although with these dolls house's they're fundamentally the same. He goes into the kitchen, smiling at the plump woman leant over the electric cooker. "Hey Gloria, my mama's gonna be here by seven, so you won't be here alone for long." Gloria doesn't reply, none of them really expect her to. Geoff smiles again and storms upstairs, straight into Jack's wardrobe. Jack's following him blindly, letting the older man pick a pair of skinny jeans out of the shelves.

"I don't think-" His words invoke no response in Geoff and he makes one last attempt. "Geoff, I'm not even sure if this is a good idea, it's a senior party and I don't really-" Jack's words are cut off by a t-shirt to his face.

"Come on, put those on." Geoff doesn't turn away when Jack goes to strip off his shirt, they've long since surpassed that level of awkwardness. He changes into the smaller, tighter shirt quickly, rolling his shoulders and bearing the muscles of his arms in a quick flex. Both boys have taken to working out in their free time, the awkward silence in Jack's house and the nosy bustling of Geoff's mama too much for either of them to bear. It wears well on Jack, he looks older than his fourteen years, easily dwarfing Geoff even though they have a four-year age gap. Jack makes an awkward cough when he goes to change his pants, but Geoff only rolls his eyes. "Don't be a baby, come on." Jack has to stretch his t-shirt to hide his modesty as he shucks one pair of jeans and puts on the other. The jeans were a gift from Geoff a while back, the elder having his first disposable income ever and feeling the need to gift his best friend. They're a solid black, unfaded from repeated washes like his other pairs. They're tight, in literally every place, and Geoff lets out a low whistle as his friend shimmies into the newer pair. 

"Can't believe you bought such tight jeans." Jack grumbles under his breath, but Geoff stands up to leave so Jack figures that's the end of the conversation. 

"Oh, I can Jack-y boy. Now come on, we have a party to get to." Jack has to push himself flat against Geoff to get past in the small space of the room. Close enough to smell the whisky on Geoff's breathe. Close enough for Geoff to reach around and grab a handful of Jack's ass. Geoff gets a solid slap in before Jack's pushing away with a glare. They stand face to face a second too long before Geoff's speaking again. "Come on then!"

——————

"Ok Jack-y on three." There's a pair of shot glasses in front of him. They contain a clear liquid, and Jack scrunches his nose as he looks at it. The butterflies in his stomach get stronger, but the music in his ears is clearing his mind of about half of his rational thought and Geoff's hand gripping at his thigh is draining the other half quickly. He nods again and looks at Geoff. Geoff's smiles have always reassured him, but his usually smile is made goofy by the alcohol in his veins. He squeezes Jack's thigh hard before letting go and taking up his shot glass.

"One. Two. Three." Geoff tips his glass back in a fluid movement, opening his throat and knocking it back as he's done many times before. Jack hesitates, if only for a second before moving to copy his friend. He's unpractised, pouring the shot too slowly and coughing at the harsh burning as it hits the back of his throat. His eyes water and he has to shake his head to clear it, scrunching his nose in disgust at the taste. When he's back to himself he turns to look at Geoff. The older boy looks way too smug as he grins at the ginger. "Good job, baby." He slurs and reaches over to ruffle Jack's hair. The touch is rough, the purpose slightly lost until his hand just rests loosely on the younger man's face.

"Geoff." Jack's voice is a croak and he has to clear it before trying again, "What are you doing?" Geoff leans in close until Jack can smell the alcohol on his breath.

"‘You ever been kissed?" Jack can just about shake his head, is body rigid in shock at the closeness of his friend. "Good." Geoff dives forward and their lips squish together. Jack can only just stop himself from pulling away, instead, he closes his eyes and lets Geoff continue. Geoff pushes hard, so Jack tries to push back against him, in a messy clash of rhythms. Geoff pulls away then, long enough to bring his other hand up to cradle the opposite cheek and open his eyes. "Just let me, baby." Geoff kisses him again and Jack sinks back, letting Geoff lead.

Jack has to pull away eventually, his ears filling up with the sound of his own heart beating. He's breathing heavily, although he tries to disguise it. Geoff bats at Jack's cheek as he ducks it to blush a bright red. 

"Not bad, baby. Not bad." Geoff murmurs as he slinks out of the kitchen. For the first time that night Jack's suddenly very aware of how filthy the kitchen is, he's aware of the dark stain on his shoulder from when some smashed senior had spilt his beer on him the second they arrived. He can't remember the drive here very well, or at least not the important parts. He can remember Geoff screeching along to the radio, can remember the way the open top of the car had ruffled Geoff's hair but he can't remember what street he's on, can't remember even whether they left their neighbourhood or not. 

Geoff's long gone by the time he's got his breathing slow enough for cognitive thought but Jack only gives himself a moment to be angry at Geoff before he's trying to find a solution. He spots a girl from his year when he goes into the living room, perched on the lap of some football playing mountain of a man. Said jock has a hand way too high up her thigh as she giggles prettily in a shimmer of blonde hair. Jack's happy to interrupt the scene, tapping politely on her shoulder. Jack can tell immediately that she's drunk, on any other day she wouldn't have looked twice at him in the hallway, but now she's sweeping him into a hug and slurring into his ear. 

"Hi, Jack." She drawls his name before pulling back, and now up close he can see the slight smear of her lipstick and the asymmetry in her eyeliner. He can't remember her name.

"Hey," He says uncertainly. "Do you know where we are?" She shakes her head, but the jock behind her joins in helpfully.

"Yeah, Lincoln and sixth." He thanks them and goes to leave, but the girl pulls him forward to press a kiss lightly to his cheek. The jock's not too happy about it, and immediately the two have forgotten him for each other. He finds the door quickly and starts to walk the twelve or so blocks home. 

Jack gets home to a quiet house. There's not a single light on the house to make it sound out against the purpling 5 AM sky. It's rare that his mom gets any sleep at night, so he jumps Geoff's fence instead, climbing through his window with practised ease. 

——————

Geoff's friends don't really ~do~ much, or at least that's what it looks like to Jack in the evenings he joins them. They're all older than him, Marco's the youngest next to Jack at 17, but he dwarfs most of them and no-one of them seems to mind his presence when he hops in with Geoff when the car pulls up as the sun sets. They drive to the same spot most nights, a small carpark lit by the lights of a laundromat. It's nowhere they'd be seen dead in the daytime, but at night it looks pretty cool and Geoff would be lying if he didn't take that into account. They're always the last to show up, not that they've ever missed much, but tonight everyone seems one or two beers in. 

Jack thinks it's all pretty ridiculous, watches the way Geoff seems to shift in his skin as he gets out the car. It's all a facade, Geoff's ego trip, and Jack's not surprised that he doesn't care to leave this. Their friends stand around a smattering of cars, with their distressed band shirts, beaten up leather jackets and colourful ink peaking through any holes, they're pretty easy to spot. Geoff shrugs his jacket on as he stands up, it's too hot for jackets in Mobile except for maybe at Christmas, but Geoff insisted it looked cool, so they all have semi-matching ones. 

Geoff scoops two cans from a pile and leans against a car door as he cracks the tab of one and flicks the other to Jack. There are three girls perched on the roof of the car he's against, and Jack's watching as one, Amber, leans over to rustle Geoff's hair before tilting his head up to look at her.

"Got anything for me tonight, stud?" She slurs. Jack watches the movement of Geoff's Adam's apple in the column of his throat as he swallows his beer.

"Depends what you want darling." He replies, and when her hands loosen he finishes the can in one more slug. 

"Thought you'd do anything for me," Amber says with a pout and Jack resists the urge to roll his eyes at the way her friends titter behind her. They know the drill from here, as does he, and Jack doesn't even stay to watch Geoff pull her down only to push her against the car door. He hears the "Anything" whispered from lip to lip but doesn't need to watch their lips meet, or Geoff's hands roaming downwards. Instead, he moves around the car and accepts a stick of gum from one of the remaining girls. 

"How's that play going then?" One of them asks, and Jack tries to clear his head. Tries not to think of Geoff treating him like that. He's fine. He'll be fine.

"Oh, you know it's a complete mess."

——————

Geoff gets home at 11, still drunk off cheap vodka from a concert he doesn't remember the night before. His mama's out, so he grabs a pop tart from the cupboard and heads up to his room immediately. He's not really surprised to see Jack in his room, hunched over his desk with his headphones on. Geoff barely gets through the door before Jack's spinning round in his chair.

"I can't believe you." He says in a tone that's all too harsh for the hangover Geoff can feel coming. Geoff flops down on the bed anyway. 

"Can we not do this now?" Geoff asks with a grown.

"Oh, yeah sure, we can talk about it three weeks. Oh, wait, no. We can't. You'll be halfway across the country by then." Jack says, and Geoff knows him well enough to hear the tremor he tries to hide.

"What did you expect me to do? Stay in Mobile forever?" Geoff knows the answer really, but he needs to hear him say it.

"I dunno man, just it's so soon." That's not the truth and Geoff deflates a bit.

"You're a big boy Jacky, you can look after yourself now." Geoff jokes. Jack spins around again, angrily swiping his notebook into his backpack and standing up.

"Fuck you, Ramsay. Fuck-" He goes to grab the doorknob, but Geoff's foot slams the door before he gets there. Geoff swings himself up in front of Jack with slightly unsteady legs but a firm hand on Jack's shoulder. 

"Come on, man, we have three weeks before I start training. Let's not argue now?" He gently pulls the bag of Jacks shoulder and pulls him down onto the bed with him. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier." He whispers.

"Can't believe how many gals you're gonna get in that uniform," Jack whispers back. Geoff leans in, and for a second Jack holds his breath, only for the lips to hit the stubble of his cheek instead.

"I'll bring all the good ones back for you."


	2. Jack vs. Ryan

Jack's not sure why anyone would move to Mobile really, so he pities the new boy when he sees him in his math class. He's not really the kind of guy to go around making friends so that's all he really knows about him. He only even notices him a couple weeks later when an unfamiliar voice starts reciting familiar the lines on stage, too brash to be anything that had come out of Mobile. Jack's trying not to pay attention, stage manager normally means he doesn't come to these and the repetitive prose tends to grate his nerves. But his ma's new boyfriend has been around a lot recently and he'd rather wait it out at school, even if it means spending more time with some of these overconfident assholes.

Jack's near on the back row of the theatre, so he has way too much damn time to watch the boy walk all the way back to him, like a lion stalking his prey. Even his walk is pretty obnoxious, a slightly overconfident swagger to mask the fact he's the new boy, and Jack's sure that has only ever looked good on one person. A person whose currently in Asscrack, America. A person who left him to look after his ma and ma all alone. A person who-

"Hi, I'm James." The new boy introduces himself with a southern drawl and a nervous ruffle of his hair. His arm is stuck out awkwardly and it takes Jack a moment to realise he wants a handshake. Jack takes it uncertainly, squeezing a tad harder than necessary to make a point. His jacket and Geoff's friends normally mean he doesn't have to speak to new people. 

"Jack." He says it as a dismissal, but James stands in front of him still. "You'll have to change your name. There's already a James in Theatre." The boy looks a little taken aback but he nods eagerly and Jack feels his heart sink. He doesn't need another suck-up.

"Would Ryan work?" Jack gives him a nod and then turns back to the stage. Ryan stands for a second too long, like he wasn't to say something more, before walking back the way he came to the rest of the auditionees. Jack allows himself a glance at the retreating boy. He's not not cute, Ryan's tight cut jeans give him a little food for thought as does his lean figure neatly framed in his shirt, and Jack can't help smirking. He'd break him like a twig.

——————

After rehearsal Ryan runs after him, catching him just as he climbs into Geoff's old car. He asks if he wants to get a coffee like he's weighing each word in his mouth. Jack has to scoff. 

"Coffee? What would I be drinking coffee for?"

"I dunno, it's grown up." Jack has to laugh, but Ryan ruffles his hair, eyes wide like a kid who's lost his mum in a store, and Jack doesn't want to be laughing at him anymore. 

"We could go arcade if you want?" Jack offers, and Ryan ruffles his hair three times before he manages to squeak out a sure. Satisfied the kid's not going to cry he leans across to unhook the passenger door. "Get in then"

They reach the arcade at 10.30 pm the journey filled with Ryan's awkward chatter and Jack's partial replies. He doesn't trust this boy, a weird mix of bravado and shyness and an anxious innocence that screams ‘I've never struggled a day in my life'.The doors are chained shut, of course, but Jack still hops out to check, pulling on them to hear the chain rattle just to watch Ryan squirm a little. It's distinctly cute, and Jack hates himself. Ryan's fretting, mumbling something about coming back another time even as Jack pulls shears out of his trunk. 

"Why'd you have bolt cutters in your trunk?" Ryan asks.

"Why don't you?" Jack bites back, and ok, maybe this kid is more annoying than cute. He appreciates Ryan's full-body shrug though, and the soft ooh noise he makes as Jack flexes his biceps and cuts straight through the steel.

The arcade is dark, but Jack finds the power switch by the door easily, remembers where it is from when Geoff took him once. Lit just by the lights of the slot machines it looks suitably cool, so he moves inward. Ryan follows with wide eyes and a bright eyed determination to play every game. He’s drawn to the shooting style range immediately, so Jack follows him over, and slips a quarter into the machine to start it up.

They play till one, when Ryan’s eyes look more closed than open. It’s ridiculous really, but still Jack bundles him into his car and drives him back to his house. Ryan lives on the nice side of town, of course he does, in a cookie-cutter house with a porch that still has lights on when Jack pulls up. He’s not brave enough to stick around long enough to see Ryan go in his house, not sure if he wants to fight someone at this time of the night anyway, so instead heads back home the long way, revelling in the way his throttle sounds on the deserted streets. 

——————

Jack doesn’t really expect to see Ryan again, especially when he walks into school the next day with one bloodshot eye and a shadow of a bruise, and yet halfway through his lunch time cigarette break two weeks later, he’s watching that same overconfident swagger beelining straight for him. 

“What do you want?” Jack asks gruffly. 

“Aren’t friends meant to hang out?” 

“Figured after-” Jack slants his cigarette in his mouth and gestures to the side of his face.

“Oh, that’s not- I-” Ryan takes a moment as Jack takes a slow drag. “Anyway, a couple theatre kids are coming to mine this saturday, I was wondering if you wanted to come?” Jack frowns at that, he’s never been invited to a theatre thing. Ever. Not that he’d want to be, he has his friends, Geoff’s friends, to hang out with most weekends. He weighs it for a second though, hanging with Ryan or getting shit-faced in front of the laundromat again. There’s no competition, but he still tries to scale back his enthusiasm.

“I might check it out. Thanks, man.” Ryan beams at him, and Jack knows he’ll be counting the minutes come Saturday. He expects Ryan to leave then, but he’s still looking up at him a second later so he takes pity. “So, how’ve you been?”

——————

Jack leaves his at seven, with a sick feeling in his stomach and the distinct feeling of something out of place. He misses Ryan’s on purpose, swings back around after an extra 20 minutes of trying to calm his nerves and cuts the gas. His hip flask is his last comfort before he gets out of the car, swiping a six pack off the back seat for good measure. He takes a minute or two to ring the doorbell, and when there’s no response immediately he slams a fist into the wood. There’s rustling and yelling and then Jack’s looking down on a mop of sandy hair. 

“Hiya!” Ryan chirps, and Jack can’t help his smile. He lifts his hand and wiggles the six pack unsurely so Ryan can see it.

“I bought drinks.”

“I see that!” Ryan looks less awkward in his own home, especially when he turns away and starts walking down a hallway. “Come on, everyone’s downstairs.”

Everyone turns out to be a fairly rag-tag group of theatre nerds, a smattering of chorus members, a saxophonist and the lighting designer. She gives a sweet wave from where they’re all clustered around a table playing some kind of aggressive snap by the looks of it. There’s no sign of any alcohol, and Jack feels out of place immediately for bringing it, but when Ryan grabs one and beckons for him to join him on a sofa too small for two, especially when one of them’s Jack, he's not so worried anymore. The room is too small for 20 people really and gets hot quickly, the windows fogging up until Ryan busts it open to reveal a small wrought-iron balcony. 

They move outside as the game of snap dissolves into an argument over someone’s ideas for a monologue (both are stupid, but Jack would rather tell them that on Monday in a theatre than ruin his night with Ryan), monopolising the least damp corner as they chat about nothing. 

Come 10 most people’s curfews are swiftly approaching, and Jack watches as each of the guests scuttles out of the house and into a well kept car hovering on the driveway. Jack’s not really sure when the last person leaves or when he takes his jacket off to lay over Ryan’s shoulders, but he’s not complaining as he listens to Ryan talk about whatever he thinks of, his tongue loosened by the two empty cans beside him. It’s only when a swig of his hip flask leaves him short that he even considers moving. He shifts his shoulders and Ryan looks up at him.

“I’m out of booze.” Jack states, because really there’s nothing else to say here. Ryan looks at him a second longer before twisting, bringing the two of them face to face in the semi-dark. 

“Will you kiss me?” He asks and Jack can’t help but laugh. He knows what to do here, let’s Ryan cup his neck as he leans in. Ryan’s needy and pushy and a tad anxious on where he puts his hands but none of that seems to matter as he closes his eyes and goes with it. Ryan pulls back too soon, with a giggle that has Jack’s eyes flying open and his hands scrabbling to get purchase on the wall. Jack’s stomach drops and he regrets the alcohol from tonight, regrets coming here in the first place. Ryan watches as Jack stands up, the smile dying on his lips.

“What are you doing?”

“If you're going to laugh at me thats fucked up man.”

“Im not laughing at you Jack.” Ryan stands up, pulling Jacks shoulder towards him gently.

“What are you fucking laughing at.”

“I’m happy! Am I not allowed to smile?”

“You’re not- You don't think I’m a freak?”

“No Jack.” They're nose to nose now and Ryan can see the the way his eyes search his face looking for a lie. When Jack looks less like he’s going to cry Ryan smiles gently. “Now. Do that again.” And this time Jack’s smiling as he leans in.

——————

Ryan takes things slow, and Jack may actually go mental at this rate. After the first kiss Ryan takes to brushing their hands together when they’re hanging out, and Jack gets a hesitant peck on the lips as long as the sun has gone down when he drops him outside of his parents house. He’s used to Geoff’s friends, all bleached hair, tattoos and telling him to hurry the fuck up. He’s not used to a scribbled note in his locker inviting him to hang out at lunch, or Ryan bringing an extra slice of his mama’s cake when Jack mentions how much he like chocolate cake the day before. 

Ryan’s parents go out of town again maybe two months later and Ryan invites him over with an awkwardness that only compares to when they first met. Ryans committed to some weird wining and dining scenario which sounds frankly ridiculous to Jack. Who has time to cook when they have a house to themselves. Still, Ryan insists and they finish their main before Jack has Ryan against a wall, one arm holding him up as the other sucks dark marks over the pale skin of his collarbone. 

Jack can feel Ryans heart against his shoulder, flighty and beating hard as he lets his hands roam under Jack’s shirt. 

“We’ll go as slow as you want Ry. Promise.” 

They make it to Ryan’s room quickly, loosing shirts and shoes until Ryan’s lying on his back with Jack on top, kissing hard and fast and trying to find something to hold on to. Ryan gets braver with his hands, moving lower until he takes the plunge and grabs onto Jack’s ass in a way that’s too familiar to feel good. He pushes off immediately as he feels the wrong name playing on his lips. He moves to the other side of the room quickly and before Ryan’s sat up he’s apologising and paling clothes on. He spouts some bullshit about not being ready and tries to forget what he's missing even as he jumps in his car and races out of town, anxious to go as far as his tank will take him.

——————

"So what class did you fail?" They are sat at the back of the theatre again, Ryan's sockless feet in Jack's lap as he watches the tragedy that is Mobile's best teen actors.

"What? I've never failed a class?" Jack's not really paying attention, the show is almost so bad it's funny and he really can't take his eyes off it. 

"Oh, so why were you held back?" Ryan shifts his feet as his question turns Jack's head.

"I wasn't?"

"Sure you were- Wait, what? You're 15?"

"14, birthday's later."

"But you drive a car. And drink. And you're huge."

"Spend a lot of time thinking about how huge I am?" Ryan's too shocked to manage a withered look.

"I'm older than you," Ryan says quietly. "Oh my god, I ride in your car. That's illegal!"

"So was breaking into the arcade. And stealing beer. and all these tattoos. And us being together. If you're a narc I've really fucked it." Jack returns his attention to the rehearsal, even as Ryan's sat slack-jawed. There's an even bigger than normal awkward pause in the run through and Jack stands up to finally take control. He glances down at Ryan only to be met with a cute but slightly shocked face that he can't help kissing the cheek of. "Right, fuckers, that was abysmal."

——————

Ryan leaves with the jacket one night when Jack drops him off. It dwarfs him slightly, although Jack’s been taking him to the gym every now and again so not as much as it used to. Jack lets him, watches as he walks up the porch steps and doesn’t ask for it back. He doesn't hang with them anymore, sick of doing nothing, sick of being bored when there’s Ryan in the world.

**Author's Note:**

> Lol I'm back, this is old but im writing new stuff. Hopefully it's kinda coherent. Comment's much appreciated <3


End file.
